The output tracking controller design problem is dealt with for a class of nonlinear strict-feedback form systems in the presence of nonlinear uncertainties, external disturbance, unmodelled dynamics and unknown time-varying virtual control coefficients. A new method based on signal compensation is proposed to design a linear time-invariant robust controller, which consists of a nominal controller and a robust compensator. It is shown that the closed-loop control system with a controller designed by the proposed method has robust asymptotical practical tracking property for any bounded initial conditions and robust tracking transient property if all initial states are zero.